Beginning Jan. 23, the Virginia Department of Transportation will close the Route 795 (Blenheim Road) bridge over Hardware River in Albemarle County.

The bridge, located 2.7 miles south of Route 708 (Secretarys Road), will be closed through substantial completion of the project on or before the Oct. 30 contracted end date.

Southbound drivers should travel east on Route 708 to Route 618 (Jefferson Mill Road), which carries traffic back to Route 795. Northbound motorists will reverse the detour. Driveway access will be maintained for local traffic.

The existing Hardware River bridge was built in 1907 and carries approximately 180 vehicles daily, according to a 2015 traffic count.

Under a $746,846 construction contract, Virginia Department of Transportation contractor Fairfield-Echols, LLC of Fishersville will replace the current timber deck truss structure in kind. After construction, the posted 3-ton weight restriction will be removed and the bridge will be open to all legal-weight vehicles.

Message boards are in place to notify the public of the closure.

For more information about Virginia’s bridges and VDOT’s bridge inspection program, including current conditions of the state’s bridges, FAQs and video of a bridge inspection, visit www.virginiadot.org/info/Bridge.asp.